1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a snow and ice melting system for use in connection with vehicle windshield apparatus. The snow and ice melting system has particular utility in connection with snow and ice melting system which has a soft surface for contacting the vehicle and a water resistant surface.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Snow and ice melting systems are desirable for quickly deicing cars in snow states. The devices are used to reduce the amount of time a driver has to spend clearing windows before a vehicle can be safely driven after it has been snowed or sleeted on. A need was felt for a deicing blanket that could be placed upon the ice and snow to melt it and that would have a soft surface so that the vehicle would not be scratched.
The use of vehicle windshield apparatus is known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,804,799 to Stewart discloses a snow and ice melting system including a foldable heating cover dimensioned for covering a vehicle. A storage cart is dimensioned for receiving the heating cover in a folded configuration. A pair of cooperating cords are disposed within the storage cart. The pair of cooperating cords are in electrical communication with each other. The pair of cooperating cords include a first cord and a second cord. The first cord has a free end coupled with the heating cover. The second cord has a free end coupleable with an electrical outlet. However, the Stewart ""799 patent does not have a rubber encased heating layer, an encased metal mesh heat dissipation layer and a felt surface protection layer.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,160,827 to Parker discloses an automotive windshield de-ice apparatus that is a flexible sheet member is mounted to an interior surface of a vehicular windshield, with the sheet member including a serpentine resistance heater directed therethrough in electrical communication with the associated vehicle. A rheostat effects selective heating in the resistance element. Further, a modification of the invention includes directional air conduits mounted to an interior surface of the sheet member to direct heated air within the passenger compartment, wherein the tubes include conduits, and the conduits each selectively mount a cap member at an upper terminal end thereof, wherein each cap member includes a pivotally mounted directing tube to selectively direct heated air throughout the vehicular passenger compartment. However, the Parker ""827 patent does not have a rubber encased heating layer, an encased metal mesh heat dissipation layer and a felt surface protection layer.
Lastly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,636,311 to Steger discloses a heating device for vehicle windows for deicing, defrosting or de-misting purposes. The device comprises a sheet of flexible transparent material and means, such as an adhesive border, for attaching to the vehicle window. An electrical resistance heating element in the form of a layer of electrically conducting material, formed for example from metallic particles carried in a binder, is bonded to the surfaces of the sheet. However, the Steger ""311 patent does not have a rubber encased heating layer, an encased metal mesh heat dissipation layer and a felt surface protection layer.
While the above-described devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe a snow and ice melting system that allows snow and ice melting system which has a felt surface for contacting the vehicle and a water resistant surface. The Stewart ""799, Parker ""827 and Steger ""311 patents make no provision for a rubber encased heating layer, a coated metal mesh heat dissipation layer and a felt surface protection layer.
Therefore, a need exists for a new and improved snow and ice melting system which can be used for snow and ice melting system which has a felt surface for contacting the vehicle and a water resistant surface. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.
In this respect, the snow and ice melting system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of snow and ice melting system which has a felt surface for contacting the vehicle and a water resistant surface.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of vehicle windshield apparatus now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an improved snow and ice melting system, and overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages and drawbacks of the prior art. As such, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new and improved snow and ice melting system and method which has all the advantages of the prior art mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a snow and ice melting system which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by the prior art, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention essentially comprises a resistive heating element and a heating layer encasing the resistive heating element. The heating layer is capable of conducting heat and is pliable. A heat dissipation mesh encased in a heat dissipation layer. The heat dissipation layer is connected to the heating layer. The heat dissipation layer is capable of conducting heat and is pliable.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated.
The invention may also include a finish protection layer, a waterproof layer, a power connection, a cigarette lighter power cord and a power transformer. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims attached.
Numerous objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description of presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiments of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In this respect, before explaining the current embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of descriptions and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved snow and ice melting system that has all of the advantages of the prior art vehicle windshield apparatus and none of the disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved snow and ice melting system that may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved snow and ice melting system that has a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such snow and ice melting system economically available to the buying public.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new snow and ice melting system that provides in the apparatuses and methods of the prior art some of the advantages thereof, while simultaneously overcoming some of the disadvantages normally associated therewith.
Even still another object of the present invention is to provide a snow and ice melting system for snow and ice melting system which has a felt finish protection layer for contacting the vehicle.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a snow and ice melting system having an encased metal mesh heat dissipation layer.
Lastly, it is an object of the present invention is to provide a snow and ice melting system having a rubber encased heating layer.